Remove a browser hijacker

Follow the steps below to resolve the issue:

1. Ensure your Avast One application is up to date by following the steps in this article: Updating Avast Antivirus.
2. Reset the affected web browser to its default settings by following the steps in this article: Resetting your internet browser to default settings.
3. Check that there is no unwanted URL in the Target value of the web browser desktop shortcut by completing the following steps:
   1. Right-click the web browser desktop shortcut and select Properties.
   2. Ensure the Shortcut tab is selected. In the Target field, delete any unwnated URL.
   3. Click Apply and OK to save the changes.
4. Delete everything in the Temp folder by completing the following steps:
   1. Close all running programs on your Windows PC.
   2. On your keyboard, press the Win key and R key simultaneously.
   3. Type %temp% into the Run box that appears, then click OK.
   4. On your keyboard, press the Ctrl key and A key simultaneously.
   5. Right-click on the selected files and click Delete to delete all files in the temporary folder.
      If you receive a message that some files cannot be deleted, please select Apply to all ▸ Ignore.
5. Uninstall all recently installed unknown programs by completing the following steps:
   1. On your keyboard, press the Win key and R key simultaneously.
   2. Type Control Panel into the Run box that appears, then click OK.
   3. If your default view is set as Category, select Uninstall a program in the Programs panel. ...or if your default view is set as Icons, select Programs and Features.
   4. Click Installed On to sort the programs by the most recent date of installation.
   5. Uninstall any recently installed unknown programs from unknown publishers by right-clicking in the relevant program panel and selecting Uninstall.
6. Enable the PUP scan in Avast One by completing the following steps:
   1. Open Avast One and go to Explore ▸ File Shield.
   2. Click Open File Shield.
   3. Ensure that the Malware & PUPs tab is selected and, under Potentially unwanted programs, select Resolve automatically.
7. Set up a Boot Time Scan> in Avast One to run on the next reboot by completing the following steps:
   1. Open Avast One and select Explore ▸ Scan Center, then click Open Scan Center.
   2. Ensure that the Scan now tab is selected, then click Boot-Time Scan.
   3. Next to Run next time you restart your PC, click the red (OFF) slider so that it changes to green (ON). Then, click Download next to Get specialized antivirus definitions.
      When you click Download on the Boot-Time Scan screen, Avast One downloads all virus definitions from a cloud database. If you skip installing specialized definitions, Boot-Time Scan scans your PC based only on the last virus definitions that were downloaded. If you see Installed instead of Download, your virus definitions are up to date.
      
   4. Restart your PC. When the system restarts, a Boot-Time Scan progress screen appears. The scan usually takes several minutes, but the duration varies depending on the speed of your system and the number of files being scanned. To skip the scan, press the Esc key on your keyboard.
   5. If any threats are found, a notification window appears. Click See results.
   6. The Scan history screen shows the following scan results:
      • Threat name: Specifies the type of detected threat.
      • Location: Shows the file path where the threat was detected on your PC.
      • Status: Explains the action taken to resolve the threat. When an infected file is detected, Avast One will try to fix it. If repair is not possible, the file is moved to Quarantine. If this fails, the file is deleted. To learn how to manage threats moved to Quarantine, refer to the following article: Avast One Quarantine - Getting Started. Click Done to exit the screen.